The Providence College women's basketball team will release a blog, once per month (and sometimes twice depending on number of games), throughout the 2013-14 season. The blog will alternate between Head Coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl and the student-athletes. For the first blog post, Susan provides her thoughts on the start of the season and what fans can and should expect from the team.

The Friars open the 2013-14 regular-season schedule on Saturday, November 9 at UMass Lowell. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 1:00 p.m. at the Costello Athletic Center in Lowell, Mass.

"I can hardly believe the start of the 2013-14 season is upon us. Tomorrow we will start our quest to prove to ourselves and everyone else that the Friars are a team of the future. For over a year now, we have worked diligently to live up to our mantra Witness Change. While there are still many improvements we are working to accomplish, here is a look at some changes we have experienced so far.

First, our team chemistry has taken a big step forward. Being a great teammate is something I stress every day. I had awesome teammates in college, and even today, we continue to keep in touch all the time. I want our players to have a similar experience. I want them to develop life-long friendships with their teammates. It's those teammates that you can always call on in times of joy or distress. You need to know that you have each other's back and take care of one another. The Friars enjoy playing with one another. If you come to watch us this season - I hope you notice that on the court.

Secondly, our work ethic has improved. We practice, play and compete harder. I've always believed in the value of outworking my opponent. I try to pass this on to our players. It's really a valuable life lesson that I hope they take into their careers after PC. If you were to attend one of our practices, I think you would see the hard work that our team is doing. At games, you will see them competing until the end.

Lastly, you will see the addition of some new faces out there on the court and returners who have improved their skills & knowledge. We have two new point guards in Sarah Beal and Karin Robinson. We believe this tandem will help us be successful, and you will often see them play together on the court at the same time. As a former post player, I totally understand the value of a great point guard. As a coach, I believe you must have more than one great point guard. Our returners dedicated themselves in the off-season to improving their overall games. It will be exciting to see how they apply those skills in real game action.

With these things in mind, I hope you head out and watch the Friars closely. We want to be an exciting team to watch and have you come to Alumni Hall for every game. It's a great time to be a Friar and I think you will see that the more you come and cheer for the Friars!